Christmas-tree holder



oct. 11, 1927.

C. D. ZEIGLER CHRISTMAS TREE HOLDER Fild Juner 9. 1926 figg, f l/5 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 `Oei:- l1, 1927." 1,644,807V

C. D. ZEIGLER CHRISTMAS TREE HOLDER FiledJune 9. 1,926 Ssheets-sheet 5 k w 'XF' \\\1 Patented Oct. 1l, 1927.

CHARLES D. ZEIGLER, 0F ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

CHRISTMAS-TREE HOLDER.

Application. niet June 9,

My present invention is kin the nature. 'of an improvement on my United States Letters Patent No. 1,579,275, of date Aprile, 1926,

and Ventitled Christmas-tree holder, andtoy this end, it consists of the novel devices and' combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims. n

Y In. the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters inclicate like parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 isa plan view of the Christmas tree holden. with some, parts broken away and illustrating in section the butt end .of aChristmas tree;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation yof the same, with some parts broken away and sectioned, and with the butt end ofthe Christmas tree illus,- trated by means of brokenllines;

Fig. 3 is afragmentary detail View with some parts sectioned on the line .i3-e3 of Fig. 1. on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailyiew with some Vparts sectioned on the line 4-4 of Fig. 4if is a detail view with some parts sectioned on the line .5 5 of Fig. 1;.

Fig. .6 is a fragmentary view illustrating a modified form of the body member;

Fig; 7 is a side elevation of the Christmas tree holder partly foldedyand Fig. 8 .is a. view partly in side elevation and partly in kcentral verticalV section show:

ing .thev holder usedfor supportinga .tableY toA 1 "llhe numeral y8 indicates van annularhorizontal body .member 1comprising, 'three segments., the ends of .which are bent radially. outward. `and circumferentially sgpaced -to afford three pairs ofrhinge lugs 9. Divergf ing supporting legs 10 have their upperv ends inserted .between .the lugs :9k vof yeach paill .and pivoted Vthereto for radial swinging movement; rThe lower ends of vthe supportinglegs 10 are curved 'outwardly and upwardly. to vafford feetll that Arest orrslide on a iioorA without scratchingV or marring. the same.

Formed with the upperends of theA supporting legs 1@ are converging tree-'gripping prongs 12, `the .inner or upper ends of. which are bent upward to, 'afford relatively .wide gripping lingers 13 that. yare lcircumferentially.spa-.cedA around -theprojected -aXis .of

improved rivets 18.

192e.. seria; 110.114.394.

th'ebody member 8 and Aextend substantially Parallel thereto. These grippingngers 13 are preferably formed, asshown in F ig. 1, o n the arc of a circle so as to contac'twith the body of a Christmas tree X throughout their entire width.

A' relatively smallv annular supporting head 14 is located materially below the body 8, axially aligned therewi'th'andy connected by links 15 to the supporting legs 10. Said supporting Ihead 8 comprises three segmental flat bars, .the end portions of Vwhich ,are eX- tendedradially outward, and the. adjacent end-portions of lsaidbfars are. placed back to back andy connected by, rivets 1G to afford hingelugs 17. Each linkv 15, comprises a pair of 4flat bars, the intermediate portions 'of whichare placedl back toback and rigidly connected bya pair of longitudinally spaced The innerr end portions of the members of the links 15 are laterallyspread to receive the Alugs 17 and-are pivotally connected thereto. VThe outer endportions of the members of the links 15 are also laterally spread to lreceive the supporting legs 1() k,and

are pivoted thereto. Theselinks15 "con-V nect the supporting head 14 to the legs 1,0

for raising or, lowering fmovemlnts.

The salient feature ,of my present inven-y tion is the provision o f simple and highly efli'cient means for limiting the downwardmevementof the supporting head 14 to pre-l vent thesame from beingvjm'oved below ,Ya

dead CGI111aDClwvliic`h means, in theformV illustrated, fare U-shaped stop links.4 v"Ihje end po`rtions 'of the arms of the links 15 eX- tend between 'the lugs 17 of each pair with the legs 10 extending therebetween, and which arms are pivote'd to Asaidlugs by the same pivots as said legs. The connecting links 15 extend loosely between the arms of the links 19for .engagement with the transverse portions .of the links 19toA limit their downward movement and thereby prevent thehead 14 from being ,moved below a dead center..` Y

An upstandingcenter barb 20, for holding the Christmas treeXin an upright postioin is mounted in the supporting -head 1&1 and rigidly SecuredY thereto by a head. .011 lits lower end vand a nut 21applied theretorabove said head. v l

Mounted en ythe supportinghead lll-...is .il

Civ

. projects therethrough to prevent leakage of water Y from said pot. The diameter of the water pot 22 is such as to freely move axially Within the body 8 during the raising or lowering movements of said water pot. By moving` the supporting body 14 upward, the connecting links 15 will fold the legs 10 circumferentially around the water pot, so that the Christmas tree holder may be stored in a comparatively small space. The links 19 will also fold with the legs 10.

To mount the Christmas tree in the holder, the supporting head 14 is moved axially toward the Vbody member 8 to spread the gripping fingers 13. The butt end of the Christmas tree X is then inserted between the l lingers 13 until brought into engagement causes the gripping ngers 13 to tightly en-l gage circumferentially around the Christmas tree X before the links 15 engage the transverse portions of the stop-acting links 19. It is, of course, evident that if it were not for the stop-acting links 19, the supporting head 14 could be moved below a dead center and such a movement would open up the gripping fingers 13 and release the Christmas tree X. The water pot 22 is then filled with water. It is, of course, understood that in some instances the water pot may be dispensed withand the means for holding the same lon the supporting head is such that the same can be easily mounted thereon or removed therefrom. The tree-gripping prongs 12 are such that they may be easil bent to adjust their lingers 13 for trees that vary materially in diameter.

The modification of the body member 23 shown in Fig. 6 is for use in connection with the Christmas tree when not provided with a water pot. In this construction, the body member 23 is forme-d from straight bars and they are arranged to form a triangle.

When the Christmas tree holder is partly folded, as shown in Fig. 7, the same is well adapted for holding a flower pot, which may be placed in the water pot 22.

While the invention has been described as a Christmas tree holder, the same is also well adapte-d for supporting a seat, stool, stand or table having a single leg arranged to be gripped by the gripping fingers 13 while resting on the barb 2O and supported in the same manner as a Christmas tree.

Referring -now to the invention as illustrated in Fig. 8 the construction is the. same as that illustrated in Fig. 6 in whichthe body members 23 are straight and the bowl 22 is removed, and in place of the barb 2O a simple barb 24 is substituted therefor. The numeral 25 indicates a table top having on its under side a casting 26 provided with a depending sleeve in which the upper end of a single table leg 27 is telescoped. An antifriction bearing 28 is interposed between the table top 25 and upper end of the leg 27. The leg 27 rests on the barb 24 and is held in an operative position by the gripping prongs 12. The holder is also well adapted for holding a lawn umbrella or sun shade.

What I claim is:

1. A Christmas treerholder comprising a` body member, supporting legs attached to the body member for spreading and contracting movements and'having tree-gripping prongs arranged to partake of reverse movements from that of said legs, a Christmas-tree-supporting head, links connecting said head to said supporting legs for vertical movement in respect thereto and operative to spread said legs by a downward movement and contract the same by an upwardy movement, and stop-acting means on a relatively fixed part of the holder and operative on a relatively movable part thereof to prevent the supporting head from moving below a dead center.

2. A Christmas tree holder comprising a body member, supporting legs attached to the body member for spreading and contracting movements and having tree-gripping prongs arranged to partake of reverse movements from that of said legs, a Christmastree-supporting head, links connecting said head to said supporting legs for vertical movement in respect thereto and operative to spread said legs by a downward movement and contract the same by an upward movement, and stop-acting links carried by the holder andoperative on another part of the holder to prevent the supporting head from moving below a dea-d center.

3. A Christmas tree holder comprising a body member, supporting legs attached to the body member for spreading' and contracting movements and having tree-gripping prongs arranged to partake of reverse movements from that of said legs, a Christmas-tree-supporting head, links connecting said head to said supporting legs for vertical movement in respect thereto and operative to spread said legs by a downward movement and contract the same by an upward movement, and U-shaped stop-acting links having their arms pivoted to the holder, said connecting links being extended between the arms of said AU-shaped links, the transverse llO portions of said links being arranged to be arms of said U-sha ed links being extended engaged by the connecting links to prevent between the lugs o each pair and in which the supporting head from moving below a said legs are extended between said arms, 10

Idead center. said arins and legs being secured to the body il. The structure deiined in claim 3 in by said pivots. which the body is provided with pairs of In testimony whereoi'l affix Iny signature. radial lugs having transverse pivots, the CHARLES D. ZEIGLER. 

